1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical instruments, and more particularly to a medical instrument for use during any scopic surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a scopic procedure, a medical instrument is inserted through a slender, cylindrical cannula, or sleeve, and into the patient's bodily cavity. Many different scopic surgeries, such as laparoscopy, thorascopy, cranioscopy, pelvoscopy, and arthroscopy, require the use of such instruments. Should multiple instruments be needed for a particular scopic procedure, it is necessary to have multiple portal entries into the patient's bodily cavity with each fitted with a cannula for insertion of a medical instrument therethrough. During a scopic procedure, it is not uncommon to perform many separate tasks, such as grasping of tissue, dissecting, lasing, irrigating, suctioning, and cauterizing or coagulating. It will be appreciated that each of these separate procedures has in the past required a specialized instrument.
It is desirable to have a multiple purpose instrument capable of performing a plurality of procedures during any scopic surgery. Specifically, it is desirable to combine lasing, irrigating, suctioning and cauterizing features with a medical forceps to allow for simultaneous grasping of tissue or dissecting while selectively lasing, irrigating, suctioning and cauterizing. This would require only one portal entry into the patient's bodily cavity, yet would permit a surgeon to perform numerous procedures quickly and efficiently.